Is there ANYONE out there who has recovered from sleep phase problems (i.e., 4-5pm feeling exhausted then feeling revved up after 9 or 10 pm and not getting restful sleep until morning hours when the body should be waking up)?

Is this a permanent result of Lyme or does it go away with treatment. I have been getting good treatment for 6 or 7 months now and have greatly improved. I would like to go back to work even part time in the next 6 months but fear my sleep schedule will not permit me to wake up to get to a jo and feel fully alert.

I have to run out of the house now but want to come back and ruminate on this question.

I just posted a reply to your other post, so look right below this one for that.

The Klonapin has mostly done it for me. Babesia treatment made a big difference in my sleep. I now go through cycles of good and bad sleep but I can say that it's mostly good. Hooray!

I've been in treatment for 3 years. My sleep improved about 5 months ago. There is light at the end of the tunnel.

Oh yeah. I tried ambien and it made me sleepy all day until about 5 pm. Then I was WIDE AWAKE until 2-3 am if I didn't take another one.

I guess it just shifted the cycle.

I also have the waking early problem. No pill helps that. They don't last long enough. Luckily for me, it is cyclic as well so I have time to recuperate after the cycle ends.

Every time there is a time change (spring forward/fall back) it takes a long time to get acclimated too. Something to keep in mind since DST is coming soon. It's like jet lag.

It does get better. I never thought I'd feel as well as I feel right now again.

Good Luck,

My sleep pattern was exactly like yours.

Like you, sometimes it felt like my sleep would never get better, but it has. I have been taking abx for 1 year now.

For the first 6 months I took Ambien. I hated it, but I needed to function, and it did make me sleep, although it was a strange sleep. I had side effects, too, if I didn't got to sleep quick enough, and also it caused memory problems (blank spots) for me.

I had a problem with twitching all over my body, as well as seizure-like episodes upon awakening...even at like 2am. My LLMD suggested Neurontin. So, I quit the Ambien and only took the neurontin before bed.
It was amazing how much it helped. I finally stopped taking neurontin last month (11 months into treatment). I now have only one bad night a week.

So basically, treatment does make it better, but its a long ride.

Hope this helps.

It is getting better-

I have had severe sleep problems for 8 yrs due to undiagnosed Lyme-I use ativan or xanax(spelling?) or remeron to sleep

I started abx 11/04-some nights now I sleep from 11-6 all by myself-no drugs-

ambien didn't help

What is clonapin

in the morning I take provigil to give me energy and help me focus. it has been working somewhat.

Interesting, my son who is 10 and also has lyme is having the same problem. I got up last night at 4am to take my pain med and he was up wandering around the house because he just woke up and couldn't get back to sleep - and he was on 30 mg of restoril!!. Then he falls asleep in school. He says he just can't sleep. His psych had to put him on a sleeping pill because he was so sick and like a walking zombie with huge dark circles under his eyes . I've been lectured by others who questioned why a 10 yr. old would be on a sleeping pill. If I didn't know about the sleep problems with lyme I guess I wouldn't really understand either.

i have tried other things like valarian, melatonin, etc., althought haven't tried acupunture.

i have also seen the other posts on here regarding sleep and many many others are having the exact same problem with their sleep schdules being reversed.

Sleep has improved with Lume treatment but I still seem to wake up at 4 or 5 am. Consequently, I take Ativan, Ambien as needed. Will be switching to Lunesta soon. It's purportedly safer and more effective for longer term use.

At first I was put on Flexeril and Amitriptyline. The Flexeril didnt' seem to help but the Amitriptyline really kept my butt asleep.

Then I was put on Ambien which makes me a little drowsy but doesn't always work.

I had tried melatonin tablets before (the kind you swallow) in addition to all the different herbal/tea supplements that have been posted on here - nothing helped.

My LLMD had me try the melatonin losenge. It's the kind that melts under your tongue. Supposedly it hits your brain faster than the tablets.

Well, this kicks my butt. Makes me extremely drowsy. Only thing that has worked. I take it at 9pm and I'm yawning at 10pm. Fall asleep around midnight. And I sleep the while night. Don't need Amitriptyline anymore to keep me asleep.

Ambien worked for about a month. Flexeril worked in the beginning, but no longer knocked me out.

Essential Oils

I use three essential oils each night. Two of them on the bottom of my feet, and one I put a drop under my nose. OMG, so relaxing. Was recommended by a therapist who uses on kids with ADD.

I use 2 combination oils and one essential oil from www.youngliving.com.

One is called Valor, containing Spruce (Picea mariana), rosewood (Aniba rosaeodora), blue tansy (Tanacetum annuum) and frankincense (Boswellia carteri) in a base of almond oil.

The other is called Peace and Calming - contains Tangerine (Citrus nobilis), orange (Citrus aurantium), ylang ylang (Cananga odorata), patchouli (Pogostemon cablin) and blue tansy (Tanacetum annuum).

The third oil is Jasmine.

About an hour before bedtime:

Rub a drop of Valor into the sole and toes of each foot. Make sure you get the toes and in between toes. A little goes a long way. Then cup your hands over your nose, breathe in for a bit.

Rub a drop of Peace and Calming into the sole and toes of each foot. Make sure you get the toes and in between toes. A little goes a long way. Then cup your hands over your nose, breathe in for a bit.

Put a drop of Jasmine on your finger and rub it under your nose. Of course, cup your hands and breathe it in.

Magically, my sleep issues went away. I've have not missed a single night's sleep since I started this 3 months ago. On weekends, I'll sleep 10-11 hrs if I don't set an alarm.

Co-pays are cheaper, but I've yet to find a prescription that let me sleep like this.

Methyl-B12 Can Improve Alertness and Concentration http://www.vitaminexpress.com/drmurray/drmurraymethylb-12canimprovealertnessandconcentration.htm

(sorry about extending the page width)

Methylcobalamin has also shown to help some
people suffering from what is referred to as
sleep-wake disorder. This disorder is
characterized by excessive daytime
sleepiness, restless nights, and frequent
nighttime awakenings. It is very common in
shift workers. In people with sleep wake disorders, taking methylcobalamin (1.5 to 3
mg daily) has often led to improved sleep
quality, increased day time alertness and concentration, and improved mood. Much of the
benefit appears to be a result of
methylcobalamin influencing melatonin
secretion.2,3 The low levels of melatonin in
the elderly may be a result of low vitamin
B12 status. However, benefit may also be a result of unmasking low brain levels of
methylcobalamin. A low level of
methylcobalamin is one of the most common
nutrient deficiencies, especially in the
elderly.

----------

Also this: http://www.internalhealth.com/methylcobalamin.htm

Sleep
A study in the journal Experientia (1992 Aug;
48[8]: 716-720) indicates that those taking
methylcobalamin also might want to take
melatonin. In the study, it was detailed how
nine healthy humans were given 3 mg of
methylcobalamin a day for four weeks.

Among the results, it was found that
melatonin levels were significantly lower in
the group receiving methylcobalamin compared
with placebo, although methylcobalamin did
not adversely effect sleep patterns. On the
contrary, previous reports of experiments
show that vitamin B12 improves sleep patterns.

The Life Extension Foundation suggests that
those taking methylocobalamin take at least
500 micrograms (1/2 mg) of melatonin at
bedtime. In addition to its sleep-enhancing
capabilities, melatonin has shown potent
anti-cancer and immune-enhancing benefits.

A more recent German study appearing in
Neuropharmacology (15[5]: 456-464, 1996)
showed that while methylcobalamin reduced the
amount of time subjects slept, that sleep
quality was better and subjects awoke feeling refreshed, and with better alertness
and concentration. Part of this effect was
apparently due to melatonin suppression
during the daytime because methylcobalamin
reduced drowsiness.
-------------

I recently bought some sublingual B12,
( http://store.yahoo.com/iherb/methylsn5.html ) and I already have Melatonin 1 mg on hand,
so I plan to try this.

I would have never imagined I had a sleep problem when I was at my sickest, because all I wanted to do was sleep.

I was started on Elavil about 11 years ago. A true life saver for me. I began at 75 mgs. I am very happy to say that after using heparin and ABX (on and off) for 3 years, I am now down to 10 mgs. of Elavil and plan on dropping down to 5 mgs. any day. I don't need to take naps anymore and I can stay up until 10 or 11. All this after a very full day of activity, which might even include a hike.